Outburst and ovationsThere was a lot riding on President Obama's primetime speech on health care reform. Billed as a "make or break" moment, his address before Congress was designed to bring clarity and calm nerves. Sources say he was editing until the final hours, right around when new polls showed a jump in disapproval ratings on his handling of the issue. The stage was set for a pivotal moment in the contentious debate.

Some highlights:

Tough crowd

Standing ovations abounded during Obama's speech, but blogs are buzzing most about N.C. Republican Rep.-turned-heckler Joe Wilson who loudly yelled "You lie!" after the president said health care reform wouldn't cover illegal immigrants. The moment threw Obama off track, if briefly. Michelle Obama was reported to have shaken her head in dismay from her seat.

Wilson quickly apologized in a statement to CNN, saying, "I let my emotions get the best of me when listening to the President's remarks…my comments were inappropriate and regrettable." For better or worse it's raised his profile. As one piece of evidence, his Twitter following doubled shortly after the speech wrapped.

Network cameras cut often to House GOP leader John Boehner, a persistent critic of the reform proposals. After Obama chided "bickering" among lawmakers, Boehner was not among those cheering.

One-time rival Sen. John McCain was spotted smiling in support when the president praised him for championing a version of health care reform on the campaign trail...

I'm a socialist and I live in a socialist country...and for the most part, it WORKS !!!:bluesad:

It's not perfect and it depends which part of the country you're in, but it's pretty good. I've never had any problems with it.

And if you really hate it, you've still got the option to go private, no one is taking that away from you. I don't really get what the problem is ?I think it's got something to do with insurance companies....

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If God exists, why did he make me an atheist? Thats His first mistake.

That's what I find odd. The Canadian health care system has its problems, but it's comforting to know that it's there when you need it, everybody's covered and the government isn't going to try to weasel out of paying. Here, universal health care is practically considered a part of the Canadian identity, and people get very upset at anything that looks like privatization. American-style health care is scary to many Canadians. So I find the impassioned defense of it, and the fear of a system like ours to be very interesting.

That's what I find odd. The Canadian health care system has its problems, but it's comforting to know that it's there when you need it, everybody's covered and the government isn't going to try to weasel out of paying. Here, universal health care is practically considered a part of the Canadian identity, and people get very upset at anything that looks like privatization. American-style health care is scary to many Canadians. So I find the impassioned defense of it, and the fear of a system like ours to be very interesting.

Well, just so you know, there are plenty of Americans who are very afraid of the American health care system, for good reason. It sucks. Lack of coverage and high costs also leads to many, many deaths (primarily lack of preventive care and delay in treatment due to costs). I know of someone recently (few weeks ago) who got serious flu symptoms, but delayed treatment for a while because they couldn't afford it. By the time they went in for treatment, they ended up hospitalized. They died of heart failure in there.

I particularly like all the people b***hing about the costs of the government option (which isn't paid *entirely* by tax dollars, I might add), estimated at $100 billion a year over the next ten. Supposedly, health care companies are going to cover about 2/3s of that. So, we're looking at $33 billion a year to get everyone who needs it acceptable health care. For comparison, the total budget is $3,300,000,000,000 a year or so. In other words, the health care option would be only about 1% of the budget. So what's the big god damn deal?

For better or for worse the United States is a very capitalist nation. So naturally anytime someone talks of something that smells of socialism we get get up in arms about it. Also since the healthcare companies stand to lose their investments, they are definitely campaigning against this. The ironic thing of all this is that we do have some socialist elements in our government. An example of this would be social security, If the government tried to take that away there'd be hell to pay.

I think the American health care system is actually very good---but only for those who actually have insurance.

The majority of Americans currently have insurance through their employers, and are most are satisfied with that coverage. They are afraid (perhaps wisely, perhaps not) that any major fiddling with the system will decrease the level of care they receive.

We have 100% paid health care for our family though my husbands employer. not too many companies will pay 100% like he does but i know that if heath care reform passes, especially with a public option, we may lose it because he might just say you can get it through the government im not paying anymore.

And im ok with that. This country needs health care reform, it needs a public option. We are lucky enough to have insurance but there were years when we didn't because of cost so i would never stand in the way of someone having affordable health care available to them. IMO heath care should be a right, not a privilege.

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There's no worse feeling than that millisecond you're sure you are going to die after leaning your chair back a little too far~ ruminations

We have 100% paid health care for our family though my husbands employer. not too many companies will pay 100% like he does but i know that if heath care reform passes, especially with a public option, we may lose it because he might just say you can get it through the government im not paying anymore.

And im ok with that. This country needs health care reform, it needs a public option. We are lucky enough to have insurance but there were years when we didn't because of cost so i would never stand in the way of someone having affordable health care available to them. IMO heath care should be a right, not a privilege.

Well said.

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The Human Blood keeps them alive, FOREVER

"Life is a hideous thing, and from the background behind what we know of it peer daemoniacal hints of truth which make it sometimes a thousandfold more hideous." - Lovecraft

For better or for worse the United States is a very capitalist nation. So naturally anytime someone talks of something that smells of socialism we get get up in arms about it. Also since the healthcare companies stand to lose their investments, they are definitely campaigning against this. The ironic thing of all this is that we do have some socialist elements in our government. An example of this would be social security, If the government tried to take that away there'd be hell to pay.

Yup, most people don't seem to understand that any tax-funded service is technically socialism. Public heath care is no more socialist than public roads.

The one point that I think most people make too many assumptions on is what the level of care is/will be in a state-funded system. Of *economic* necessity, it must be minimal. Long wait lists, limited access to facilities, restricted hospital stays and a severely reduced list of approved/funded procedures. The starry-eyed seem to expect that everyone will be getting everything possible. Nope: Everyone will be entitled to a minimum of care, prioritized by the administration. TANSTAAFL.

And the idea that somehow the government will be in fair competition with private insurers when the government gets to set the ruls of the competition is ludicrous. The public option will be cheaper, and employers will drop private coverage left and right. Private insurance companies will go out of business, leaving all of us on the Government plan - quality of care will decrease, as will availability and innovation.

Obama wanted them to be included in the "reform" if I recall correctly.

I'm not exactly up on that part of the bill, but I would expect some serious wordplay and excuses in THIS part of the bill also:

Let's hypothetically suppose that PEC'S are subject to a waiting period for coverage, say, 3 to 6 months for example. That's a nice window of oppurtunity for those with terminal illness and other serious conditions to pass away before they're covered.

This would be a nice little way for the admin. to save money on minimal or bare bones treatment while the time frame allows for the thinning out of the populace among the terminally ill and also save the admin. lots of money. Absolutely sickening.

Obama wanted them to be included in the "reform" if I recall correctly.

I'm not exactly up on that part of the bill, but I would expect some serious wordplay and excuses in THIS part of the bill also:

Let's hypothetically suppose that PEC'S are subject to a waiting period for coverage, say, 3 to 6 months for example. That's a nice window of oppurtunity for those with terminal illness and other serious conditions to pass away before they're covered.

This would be a nice little way for the admin. to save money on minimal or bare bones treatment while the time frame allows for the thinning out of the populace among the terminally ill and also save the admin. lots of money. Absolutely sickening.